Dictionary

sarcastic en · ADJ

Pronunciation

• (Southern-England) audio
• /sɑɹˈkæs.tɪk/ (US)
• /sɑːˈkæs.tɪk/ (Received-Pronunciation)

Etymology

Etymology tree Proto-Indo-European *twerḱ- Proto-Indo-European *-s Proto-Indo-European *túrḱs /*twérḱs Proto-Hellenic *súrks /*swə́rks Ancient Greek σᾰ́ρξ (sắrx) Ancient Greek -ᾰ́ζω (-ắzō) Ancient Greek σᾰρκᾰ́ζω (sărkắzō) Proto-Indo-European *-mos Proto-Indo-European *-mós Ancient Greek -μός (-mós) Ancient Greek σαρκασμός (sarkasmós)der. Late Latin sarcasmus English sarcasm Proto-Hellenic *-tās Ancient Greek -αστής (-astḗs)der. Latin -astabor. English -ast Proto-Indo-European *-ikos Proto-Italic *-ikos Latin -icuslbor. Old French -iquebor. Middle English -ik English -ic English -astic ▲ Late Latin sarcasmusbor. French sarcasme French sarcastiqueder. English sarcastic Either from sarcasm + -astic or from French sarcastique, from French sarcasme, from Late Latin sarcasmus, ultimately from Ancient Greek σαρκασμός (sarkasmós, “sarcasm”), itself from Ancient Greek σάρξ (sárx, literally “meat, flesh”).

Meanings

1. Containing sarcasm.
   • a sarcastic quip
   • the teacher's sarcastic tone
   • The sarcastic bitterness of his conversation disgusted those who were more inclined to accuse his licentiousness than their own degeneracy, and who were unable to conceive the strength of those emotions which are concealed by the jests of the wretched, and by the follies of the wise. 1850, Thomas Babington Macaulay, Machiavelli:
   • In men’s clubs such celebrations were, though expiring, less uncommon; but either the natural shyness of the softer sex, or a sarcastic attitude on the part of male relatives, had denuded such women’s clubs as remained (if any other did) or this their glory and consummation. 1891, Thomas Hardy, chapter II, in Tess of the d’Urbervilles: A Pure Woman Faithfully Presented […], volume I, London: James R[ipley] Osgood, McIlvaine and Co., […], →OCLC:
   • He smiled to himself, and threw a glance of fine sarcastic meaning towards Hepzibah. 1851 April 9, Nathaniel Hawthorne, The House of the Seven Gables, a Romance, Boston, Mass.: Ticknor, Reed, and Fields, →OCLC:
   • The unhappy Jew eyed their countenances and that of Front-de-Bœuf, in hope of discovering some symptoms of relenting; but that of the Baron exhibited the same cold, half-sullen, half-sarcastic smile which had been the prelude to his cruelty; […] 1819 December 20 (indicated as 1820), Walter Scott, Ivanhoe; a Romance. […], volume (please specify |volume=I to III), Edinburgh: […] Archibald Constable and Co.; London: Hurst, Robinson, and Co. […], →OCLC:
2. (of a person) Having the personality trait of expressing sarcasm.
   • Her eyes slanted a little... and were sometimes full of fiery determination and sometimes dull and opaque. Her expression was never altogether amiable; was often, indeed, distinctly sullen, or, when she was animated, sarcastic. 1912, Willa Cather, The Bohemian Girl:

Forms

Deriveds

sarchotic · snarkcastic · sarcastically · sarky · nonsarcastic · supersarcastic · sarcastic fringehead · /s · sarcast · unsarcastic · sarcasticness

Relateds

sardonic · snide · ironic

Synonyms

sarky · cynical · snarky

Translations (54)

grc εἰρωνικός (Containing sarcasm) · sv sarkastisk (Having the personality trait of expressing sarcasm) · it sarcastico (Containing sarcasm) · uk саркасти́чний (Containing sarcasm) · tr müstehzi (Having the personality trait of expressing sarcasm) · eo sarkasmema (Having the personality trait of expressing sarcasm) · eo sarkasma (Containing sarcasm) · pt sarcástico (Having the personality trait of expressing sarcasm) · tr alaycı (Having the personality trait of expressing sarcasm) · tl mapanuya (Having the personality trait of expressing sarcasm) · sv sarkastisk (Containing sarcasm) · cs sarkastický (Containing sarcasm) · es sarcástico (Containing sarcasm) · gd sgaiteach (Containing sarcasm) · pl sarkastyczny (Having the personality trait of expressing sarcasm) · hu gúnyos (Containing sarcasm) · ca sarcàstic (Containing sarcasm) · ru саркасти́ческий (Containing sarcasm) · la nāsūtus (Having the personality trait of expressing sarcasm) · fi sarkastinen (Having the personality trait of expressing sarcasm) · tr alaycı (Containing sarcasm) · fr sarcastique (Containing sarcasm) · id sarkastis (Containing sarcasm) · ca sarcàstic (Having the personality trait of expressing sarcasm) · gd sgaiteach (Having the personality trait of expressing sarcasm) · grc σαρκαστικός (Containing sarcasm) · la dicāculus (Containing sarcasm) · yue 串 (Having the personality trait of expressing sarcasm) · de sarkastisch (Containing sarcasm) · la dicax (Having the personality trait of expressing sarcasm) · it sarcastico (Having the personality trait of expressing sarcasm) · el σαρκαστικός (Having the personality trait of expressing sarcasm) · el ειρωνικός (Containing sarcasm) · be саркасты́чны (Containing sarcasm) · el ειρωνικός (Having the personality trait of expressing sarcasm) · tl mapanuya (Containing sarcasm) · hu szarkasztikus (Containing sarcasm) · ar ساخر (Containing sarcasm) · ru саркасти́чный (Having the personality trait of expressing sarcasm) · pt sarcástico (Containing sarcasm) · bg саркастичен (Containing sarcasm) · la nāsūtus (Containing sarcasm) · el σαρκαστικός (Containing sarcasm) · fi sarkastinen (Containing sarcasm) · nl sarcastisch (Containing sarcasm) · hu gunyoros (Containing sarcasm) · es sarcástico (Having the personality trait of expressing sarcasm) · ru язви́тельный (Containing sarcasm) · nl sarcastisch (Having the personality trait of expressing sarcasm) · de sarkastisch (Having the personality trait of expressing sarcasm) · hu szarkasztikus (Having the personality trait of expressing sarcasm) · fr sarcastique (Having the personality trait of expressing sarcasm) · pl sarkastyczny (Containing sarcasm) · tr müstehzi (Containing sarcasm)